found: Work cat.: Davis, L.G. Black athletes in the United States : a bibliography of books, articles, autobiographies, and biographies on black professional athletes in the United States, 1800-1981, 1981.
found: Glencoe secondary marketing essentials DECA connection glossary. [web document], via WWW, Feb. 17, 2005(professional athlete -- Any athlete who is paid for playing a sport, particularly an athlete who makes their living by sports)
found: Very athletic people might want to consider getting a job as a pro athlete. [document at Bureau of Labor Statistics web site], via WWW, Feb. 18, 2005(Professional athletes include baseball, football, and basketball players, tennis players, golfers, ice skaters, skiers, stock car drivers, rodeo riders: anyone playing a sport for money)
found: Cuddon, J.A. The international dictionary of sports and games, 1980:p. 9 (In the course of a hundred years a distinction between an amateur and a professional in sport became clear ... a professional was one who made a living out of a game or sport)
found: Web. 3 (professional ... one that competes in sports or athletics for gain or livelihood or who has taught or trained for money ...)